Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Zagat Guides continues its policy of sending free review books in exchange for your review. Right now they're collecting reviews for New York City Restaurants (until May 17, 2009), Miami & South Florida Restaurants (until June 14, 2009), Portland's Top Restaurants (until May 25, 2009), and St. Louis Top Restaurants (until May 25, 2009). Do check it out at Zagat.comhttp://www.zagat.com/Review/Index.aspx

I've been submitting Zagat reviews for over a year now and aside from getting the free guide, it's fun to review the best and worst places you've visited during the year. I particularly like suggesting new restaurants and stores, hoping that other folks will enjoy them as much as me.

The places and guides change quite often, so check back periodically and you might find one that you particularly like. You can also submit reviews as you go and send them along when the relevant guide promotion begins.

Zagat also sponsors events - they'd asked for volunteers to participate in the filming of the new (and newly cancelled) cooking show on NBC with Marco Pierre White, The Chopping Block last year. I was among the audience receiving a free meal while the contestants battled it out to create, run, and win their own restaurant from Marco Pierre White. The show was interesting enough, though the main thing that struck me was that the two Asian cousins who weren't in danger of being kicked off the show, voluntarily removed themselves because the dialogue was getting mean! I could understand how they felt and why they did it, but had really wished that they stayed in and fought it out.

This is totally exciting and amazing for me - and such a generous welcome to a newbie blogger. I'm giddy - do check out her site and say hello.http://mjmbecky.blogspot.com/2009/05/bethenny-frankel-simple-lunch-salad.html

She mentioned heading off to the gym in her post, which inspired me to head over to my gym for the first workout in a LONG time. I'll try to follow it up with a healthy dinner. I'd like to thank her for all of those things that helped make my day!

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After spending years as a corporate lawyer in a big law firm in NYC, I'm looking into starting my own practice. I have time to explore NYC, learn to cook and eat healthier, exercise, garden (on my Brooklyn balcony), and read more. My interests are very broad from cooking and gardening to real estate, estate planning, tax law, investing and law to escapist fiction of all types to nonfiction and memoirs. I've lived in many countries and cities and love to travel. I love hearing about other people's travels and experiences, so if you have any recommendations of places in your town or somewhere that you'd visited - please drop me a line @ gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com. You can find me on twitter as startingfreshny.

To Authors, Publishers, New Yorkers, Fellow Dieters & Friends

I love reading and am always interested in finding new authors and books to read and review. Authors and publishers, if you'd like me to review your work, please shoot me an email at gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com or send me a comment. I will review your work on this blog, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and Library Thing. I'm also happy to do interviews, guest posts by authors, and giveaways. Friends, if you highly recommend a book to read, please let me know. I'm always looking for a good read!

If anyone has suggestions for things to do or places to visit in the NYC area, I'd love to hear them. I'm always looking for more ways to enjoy and appreciate this huge city.

If anyone has diet or exercise suggestions, I'm open to any and all suggestions! Please do write me a comment or send me an email at gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com. Tweet me @startingfreshny